Fans can play part in future

HORNETS supporters and sports fans throughout the area are being urged to join the co-operative club and have a say in its running. The club is offering supporters and the wider general public the opportunity to be an integral part of the rugby club.

HORNETS supporters and sports fans throughout the area are being urged to join the co-operative club and have a say in its running.

The club is offering supporters and the wider general public the opportunity to be an integral part of the rugby club.

The club is fully owned and democratically run by supporters on a one member, one vote basis. Members vote on major decisions, such as electing the board.

Every member has an equal share in ownership, so for £20 you could co-own the club.

And, while Hornets is run in a profitable way, it is a not-for-profit organisation.

All money raised is reinvested in the club, providing services for members and carrying out community work.

Most members are committed fans, but those who share the co-operative ideal, for which Rochdale is famous, are also invited to become members.

A Hornets spokesman said: "By putting supporters and community at the heart of the club, Hornets are showing that fans can have a powerful say in the way rugby should be run.

"Membership benefits include a vote on major decisions and election of the board; regular updates and newsletters; members only events; local benefit/loyalty card and much more."

Membership forms can be obtained from the club – contact 01706 648004 – or downloaded from the Hornets website.

Membership starts at £20, with bronze, silver, gold and platinum memberships also available – details on the website or from the club.

Forms – one per member – together with a cheque for £20 made payable to Hornets Rugby League can be sent to Membership, Hornets Rugby League, Spotland Stadium, Rochdale OL11 5DR.

For more information, contact the Hornets office on 01706 648004, e-mail the club at enquiries@hornetsrugbyleague.co.uk with your details or visit the membership stall at Spotland on matchdays.

WELL-KNOWN local company Chalker’s – The Potato Man – has chipped in to support Hornets for the 2010 season.

Established in the late 1950s, Ron Chalker (The Potato Man) Ltd. was a family run company distributing foods to the catering trade in Rochdale.

Over the last few years the company has grown rapidly and now delivers to areas as far afield as Bradford and Liverpool. They have also built a reputation as one of the leading food suppliers to schools and the NHS in the North of England.

Chalker’s have put their name on the Hornets shirts and are looking at a possibility of further sponsorship of Hornets in the community.

Hornets’ chief executive Mike Banks said: "It is fantastic to get a successful local business involved in the club and we thank them for that. Chalker’s and Hornets have a lot of history in Rochdale and I am positive that both parties will benefit from each other’s activities."